The Cautious Maiden (The Everstone Chronicles Book 4) by Dawn Crandall {Blog Tour Review}

The Cautious Maiden (The Everstone Chronicles Book 4) by Dawn Crandall

Paperback, 304 pages

Published October 4th 2016 by Whitaker House





Violet Hawthorne is beyond mortified when her brother Ezra turns their deceased parents' New England country inn into a brothel to accommodate the nearby lumberjacks; but when Violet's own reputation is compromised, the inn becomes the least of her worries. In an effort to salvage her good name, Violet is forced into an engagement with a taciturn acquaintance; Vance Everstone. As she prepares for a society wedding, Violet learns that her brother had staked her hand in marriage in a heated poker game with the unsavory Rowen Steele, and Ezra had lost. Now Rowen is determined to cash in on his IOU. With danger stalking her and a new fiance who hides both his emotion and his past, Violet must decide who to trust and who to leave behind.

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My Review: 5 Stars

I'm still absolutely amazed at how quickly and thoroughly I'm drawn into these books. I feel that I am a part of this story and that these characters are my friends. 

I recently attended a book luncheon where the keynote speaker talked about how many romance books are full of love, hope, and redemption. Most readers want a happy ending because we want to believe that love conquers all. I'm also a firm believer that the most worthwhile things (and relationships) in life are best appreciated when they are worked for. This book proves these points exactly.

Violet's brother, Ezra, is pure evil and in a effort to escape his hand, she tries to make something of her life, only to be thwarted. Her struggles are real, scary, and dangerous, but she is one determined woman. As for her hero, the reader is treated to an interesting tale involving Vance. Vance, oh, Vance--the brother whom I love to hate. The older I get, the more I realize that it's impossible to judge someone and that people really can change...sometimes. Vance has quite a past that Violet must deal with and she must decide if he's trustworthy.

I love a good, clean, sizzling romance and this one delivers. I love the relationships, the banters, the appearances of past book characters, and the setting. This plot is driven by more than just romance and I love how it adds meat to the story, while still delivering those emotionally satisfying moments. For some reason, I love it when characters are forced to marry.

Content: some violence; mild romance (some mild innuendo, kissing, non-descriptive talk of past "sins"); mild religious elements. Clean!

*I received a complimentary copy from the publisher, with no obligation to review. All thoughts are completely my own.*

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Buy Links:

 

About the Author:

 

Dawn Crandall is an ACFW Carol Award-nominated author of the award winning series The Everstone Chronicles, which currently consists of: The Hesitant Heiress, The Bound Heart and The Captive Imposter. The Cautious Maiden is her fourth book.
Apart from writing, Dawn is also a mom of two little ones and serves with her husband in a premarital mentorship program at their local church in Fort Wayne, Indiana.
A graduate of Taylor University with a degree in Christian Education and a former bookseller at Barnes & Noble, Dawn Crandall didn't begin writing until 2010 when her husband found out about her long-buried dream. It didn't take her long to realize that writing books was what she was made to do.
Dawn is a member of the American Christian Fiction Writers, the secretary for the Indiana ACFW Chapter (Hoosier Ink), and an associate member of the Great Lakes ACFW Chapter. She is represented by Joyce Hart of Hartline Literary Agency.